Jumping up on desks...

Here's my problem. My rambunctuous pain in the butt Napoleon loves to jump up on my dresser and desk at night when I'm asleep -- they're the only place I DON'T let him jump, since there are fragile and expensive things up there. I don't know how to stop him! Every time I catch him he gets kitten held and spritzed from the water bottle -- twice was enough to teach Josephine not to jump up there. But Napoleon tends to do it EVERY NIGHT. Any suggestions on discouraging this behaviour? Thanks guys!

Yes....put the fragile and expensive things away where there's no danger they'll be damaged.

I'm supposed to keep my brand new LCD monitors and laptop in a drawer?

Can't see a cat being a threat to a laptop or a monitor.

tape with sticky side up on the edges.. my cat HATES the sticky feeling.. I do this on my window sills when my window is open (I live 4 stories up).

Maybe I should explain where I'm coming from....as far as cat deterrents, I've been there, done that, for every single one in the books, and then some. My conclusion is that while they might work for some, in the end they're not worth the time, effort and money. Catproofing, IMO, works better than deterrence. Some cats just won't be deterred!!

Don't worry about your monitor too much. My cat is always on my desk--I actually made room for him to have a bed up here because I've been spending so much time at my desk lately! He's never hurt my LCD monitor. He hasn't been around my laptop much, but I think the worse thing he could do is run across my keyboard and mess me up. Just make sure you close it to be sure. And of course, make sure there isn't anything spill-able around it.

As for your breakables, I would just put them away behind glass where you could still see them, but they wouldn't be broken--or worse, broken and then cut him.

I agree it's easier to cat-proof.

Good luck! I know it's a pain! There are a couple things I CAN'T cat-proof and I have to squirt him rarely, but luckily he lost interest on his own.

I have a rather expensive and somewhat top-heavy lamp on my bedstand that I've been waiting for months for them to knock over, and they haven't yet. Where's some wood around here....I gotta knock on it.....does laminated composite count?

I have a laptop as well, but I must say that CJ has damaged it. He has broken about 3 keys off of it. the o key the alt key and the space bar. it happened when he was on my desk and something freaked him out and he ran across my keyboard and got his claws stuck in it. Since then I have to shut my laptop when I am not using it and of course keep nothing breakable or spillable by it. My problem is CJ is scratching at the front door constantly, and he is starting to scratch up the carpet. I put a rug down, but he pulls it back and scratches the carpet more. I wouldnt care except for the fact I live in an apartment and will get in trouble if the carpet is ruined. He has also started scratching the door frame as well as the door. I tried feliway and it had no effect on him, and I tried another kind of spray called no scratch with no luck. I tell him no everytime, and I spray him with water, but he does it again about 5 minutes later. grrrr.

Exactly. I'm already missing one gift from my girlfriend, one small screwdriver and one expensive cellphone case because Napoleon has been up on the desk and found them. The cellphone case he managed to get frown BEHIND my monitors and tower, where I hid it. I love my cats to death, but I refuse to allow them to go anywhere they want. There are rules to be obeyed. The same way I'm not allowed in Employee Only areas, there are cat-free areas.
The sticky tape was a good suggestion, I'll try that. Napoleon's a smart cat and I refuse to accept that he can't learn a rule.

What about empty soda cans half filled with coins? Line them up along the edge of the desk, when he jumps up he'll knock them over and scare himself. Or, when you see him jump up, shake a can with coins to scare him down. Of course, he may then just learn to do it when you're not there!

Anything he hates the smell of? Maybe cut up slices of lemon and keep them in plates on the desk, he'll jump up, take one sniff and hopefully jump down again.

Tin foil? Didn't work for me as the toads actually liked it, but cats are supposed to hate the feel of it under their paws - cover the desk top in it and see what happens.

Problem is, he knows it's off limits, and that makes it more appealing. I don't want my cats in my bathroom, so guarunteed every time they hear the door open they're there like a shot!! Same with kitchen counters, you'd think I had an entire roast pig up there the way they try to get up! Personally, I've given up and gone own the cat-proof route too!

Cats don't live by the same rules as people do. I try to make my home...their home, and their home doesn't have places where they can't go. There is a room he's not allowed in, but the door is always shut and I don't even think he knows about it.